The use of Storage Area Networks (SANs) continues to grow. Generally described, a SAN is a specialized network of storage devices that are connected to each other and to a server through, or cluster of servers, which act as an access point to the SAN. In some configurations a SAN is also connected to the network. SAN's use special switches as a mechanism to connect the storage devices. A SAN provides many advantages to users requiring large amounts of storage. First, a SAN helps to isolate storage activity from a general purpose network. For example, a SAN can be providing data to users on the general purpose network at the same time it is being backed up for archival purposes. The data traffic associated with the backup does not compete for bandwidth on the general purpose network, it typically stays on the specialized network.
An additional advantage is that a SAN can be reconfigured, i.e. storage can be added or removed, without disturbing hosts on the general purpose network.
A further trend in network technology is the increasing use of Virtual Local Area Networks. A VLAN is a network of devices that behave as if they are connected to the same physical segment of a LAN even though they may actually be physically located on different segments of the LAN. VLANs are typically configured through software rather than hardware, which makes a VLAN extremely flexible. One of the biggest advantages of VLANs is that when a computer is physically moved to another location, it can stay on the same VLAN without any hardware reconfiguration. A further advantage of VLANs is that they provide an additional level of security in that network data on one VLAN is not visible to devices on a different VLAN.
In currently available systems, there has been no integration of SAN technology with VLAN technology. As a result, there is a need in the art for the present invention.